Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 4-30-21

Sports
Antonio Brown Settles Civil Sexual Assault Lawsuit With Ex-Trainer
Former Florida State, NFL Linebacker Geno Hayes, 33, Under Hospice Care
GENO HAYES
Geno Hayes, who played three seasons at Florida State and seven in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears and Jack- sonville Jaguars, is under hos- pice care at his parents' home for liver complications, his former high school coach said. He’s 33.
“Geno's in need of prayers. He’s fighting for his life,” said Hayes’ former high school coach Frankie Carroll, who visited Hayes at his mother’s home in Valdosta, Georgia last Sunday. “It’s tough. Geno’s a fun-loving guy.”
Hayes — known for his in- stincts, athleticism and quick- ness — always seemed to find the football.
“And he’d get people on the ground when he got there,” former Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey An- drew said. “He had a motor, a knack for locating the ball."
Hayes signed with Florida State in 2005 out of Madison County, Florida, where he started as an undersized de- fensive lineman before he moved to linebacker and be- came an All-American.
Hayes finished his junior season at Florida State second on the team in total tackles with 94 and was first in tack- les for loss with 17.5.
Justin Fields Tells NFL Teams He's Managing Epilepsy Ahead Of Draft
The civil lawsuit against NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown brought forth by one of his former personal trainers al- leging sexual assault has been settled, lawyers in the case an- nounced Wednesday.
A statement from the law firms working the case detailed Brown and Britney Taylor becoming "friends" nearly a decade ago before being "in- volved in aggressive litigation."
"Having reflected on their re- lationship, both feel that the time has come to move on. An- tonio is grateful for Britney's excellent training assistance. They are pleased that Antonio is doing so well with the (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl)," attorney
ANTONIO BROWN
David Haas said. "Their dis- pute is resolved and they wish each other great continued suc- cess."
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Former Ohio State University quarterback Justin Fields, a top prospect in the upcoming draft, has told NFL teams that he’s managing epilepsy, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport re- ports.
Per Rapoport, Fields in- formed the teams during the pre-draft process. “It has not affected football & doctors be- lieve he’ll outgrow it as his other family members have,” he continued. Fields was re- portedly first diagnosed when he was a child, but his symp- toms have been shorter and less frequent as he’s gotten older, indicating that he could grow out of it sooner rather than later.
OSU QB Justin Fields has confirmed to NFL teams dur-
JUSTIN FIELDS
ing the pre-draft process that he is managing epilepsy – a neurological disorder that can cause seizures, per me and @TomPelissero. It has not af- fected football & doctors be- lieve he’ll outgrow it as his other family members have.
NFL Players Can Smoke Marijuana For The First Time During The Offseason
World Record After Catching A 600-Foot Pass From A Helicopter
The NFL opened its random drug test window on Tuesday, but this will be the first year the league doesn't test for the chemical found in Marijuana.
Under the league's new col- lective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was passed last year, players will not be tested for Delta 9 THC-carboxylic acid, which is the prominent chemical found in cannabis, from April 20 to Aug. 9.
The start date of April 20 co- incides directly with the popu- lar cult holiday 4/20, which is dedicated to celebrating mari- juana. The holiday has become so popular among mainstream Americans in recent years that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer went so far as to call it "an unofficial American holi- day" on Tuesday.
Players will be tested for THC once training camps open in August. However, the new CBA has also raised the thresh- old for a positive marijuana test from 35 nanograms to 150 and eliminates suspensions for positive drug tests. Instead, the NFL will issue fines for up to three weeks' pay.
The NFL will be moving away from severe discipline for marijuana use to an approach focused more on treatment. If a player tests positive during training camp, his test is re- viewed by a board of medical professionals appointed by both the players and league. The board then decides if the player needs treatment.
The NFL's previous guide-
lines on marijuana usage were much harsher. All players were tested at least once during the offseason. Also, 10 players from each team were selected for tests each week during the regular season.
One positive test previously resulted in a referral to the sub- stance abuse program, a sec- ond positive test resulted in a fine of two game checks, a third violation was a fine of four game checks, a fourth violation was a four-game suspension, a fifth violation was a 10-game suspension, and a sixth viola- tion resulted in a one-year ban.
Players like wide receiver Josh Gordon and defensive end Randy Gregory missed entire seasons of their careers to suspension for positive mar- ijuana tests on repeated occa- sions. Under the new CBA, that is far less likely to happen to any player.
Reform to these policies was one of the biggest changes that the NFLPA was pushing for during negotiations for the new CBA last year. It was a key tradeoff that allowed the regu- lar-season schedule to expand to 17 games.
Rob Gronkowski can now show off a Guinness World Record with his four Super Bowl rings.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end, 31, caught a football that dropped more than 600 feet from a helicopter, hover- ing above Arizona Stadium. "625ft catch! Mr. World Record Breaker Wildcat in the house," he wrote on Instagram Saturday, along with a video of the record-setting moment.
The NFL star surprised col- lege athletes at his alma mater
ROB GRONKOWSKI
the University of Arizona, where he served as an hon- orary Wildcats coach, along with former New England Pa- triots teammate Tedy Br- uschi.
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